Dog Service Dog Essay

Diabetic Alert Dogs are specially trained service dogs. Because of this, they can be placed under the same standards and rules for other service dogs. The point of a service dog is to improve their owner’s life and independence, whether they need assistance because of physical or psychiatric disabilities (autism included) no matter their age or developmental stage. Diabetic Alert Dogs are trained to recognize hypoglycemic episodes and according to an article in Podiatry Review, “For many individuals with brittle diabetes who get no warning of such an episode these dogs are truly lifesavers.” (p. 1). Each service dog is chosen based on specific traits and their ability to fit into their owner’s life without causing undue stress or requirements. Technically speaking any breed or size of dog can be used as long as they meet the minimal personality requirements and have an ability to learn their specific training requirements. The training varies depending on what type of service animal however the dog must be receptive to the basic training and the special training, i.e., in the case of DADs consistently recognizing hypoglycemia in samples. Assistance Dogs International is a program that establishes standards in acquiring and training dogs

It is important for a service animal to be easy to care for and to be healthy. For one an immense amount of money goes into training service animals, and even more for the specialized training required for DADs and these animals can be lifesaving. A sick animal will not be able to perform their duties well; it would be like asking a sick person to run a marathon. A service animal needs to be easy to care for because the point of a service animal is to improve quality of life not make it more difficult for a person who needs